# US 2021/0274712 A1 · Bearing housing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0274712 A1 - Document ID: US20210274712A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/328,062 - Filed: 2021-05-24 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-05 - Assignees: Deere & Company - Applicants: Deere & Company - Inventors: Alexander C. Reiners; John A. Dighton; Guy Burch; Blake C. Gettig; Surfraj Fattepur; Todd J. Rodrigue - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210274712A1 ## CPC - A01D 45/10: of sugar cane {(for digging sugar cane A01D31/00)} - F16C 19/386: {in O-arrangement} - F16C 19/548: {in O-arrangement} - F16C 25/06: Ball or roller bearings - F16C 41/007: {Encoders, e.g. parts with a plurality of alternating magnetic poles} - F16C 2229/00: Setting preload - F16C 2233/00: Monitoring condition, e.g. temperature, load, vibration - F16C 2310/00: Agricultural machines - A01D: HARVESTING; MOWING - F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS ## Abstract A bearing coupler assembly that has a bearing housing sized to at least partially receive a bearing assembly, the bearing housing defining a bearing axis therethrough, a shaft positioned at least partially through the bearing housing along the bearing axis, the shaft defining a shaft lip and a fastener end, the bearing assembly coupling the shaft to the bearing housing so the shaft can rotate about the bearing axis relative to the bearing housing, a fastener configured to be coupled to the fastener end of the shaft, a tone wheel positioned axially along the bearing axis between the fastener and the bearing assembly, the tone wheel having at least one indicator, a sensor coupled to the bearing housing and configured to identify when the indicator passes thereby. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An extractor assembly, comprising: a frame structure configured to couple the extractor assembly to a work machine; a support tube coupled to the frame structure along a bearing axis; a fan coupled to the support tube to rotate about the bearing axis relative to the support tube; wherein, the fan is rotationally coupled to the support tube through a bearing coupler assembly, the bearing coupler assembly comprising: a bearing housing sized to at least partially receive a bearing assembly; a shaft positioned at least partially through the bearing housing along the bearing axis, the shaft defining a shaft lip, a fastener end, and a fan coupler end, the bearing assembly coupling the shaft to the bearing housing so the shaft can rotate about the bearing axis to rotate the fan coupled to the fan coupler end; a fastener configured to be coupled to the fastener end of the shaft; a tone wheel positioned axially along the bearing axis between the fastener and the bearing assembly, the tone wheel having an indicator; and a sensor coupled to the bearing housing and configured to identify when the indicator passes thereby; wherein, the tone wheel rotates with the fan and the sensor is configured to identify the rotation speed of the fan; further wherein, the fastener compresses the bearing assembly between the tone wheel and the shaft lip. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The extractor assembly of claim 1, further comprising a motor configured to rotate the fan, wherein the motor is coupled to the shaft through a motor shaft coupler. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The extractor assembly of claim 2, wherein the motor shaft coupler is a splined recess defined within the shaft. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The extractor assembly of claim 2, wherein the motor has a motor housing coupled to the bearing housing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The extractor assembly of claim 4, wherein the bearing housing is coupled to an end plate of the support tube. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The extractor assembly of claim 1, further comprising a sensor port defined in the bearing housing, wherein the sensor port establishes a calibration distance to the tone wheel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The extractor assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one indicator is a radial extension defined in the tone wheel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The extractor assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one indicator includes a plurality of radial extensions defined in the tone wheel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The extractor assembly of claim 1, wherein the fastener end of the shaft is threaded and the fastener is a nut, wherein the nut is threadably coupled to the fastener end at a torque value to apply the force on the tone wheel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The extractor assembly of claim 1, wherein the tone wheel directly contacts the fastener. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The extractor assembly of claim 1, wherein the fastener applies the force to the tone wheel towards the bearing assembly to compress the bearing assembly between the tone wheel and the shaft lip. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The extractor assembly of claim 1, wherein the bearing assembly comprises at least one tapered roller bearing. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The extractor assembly of claim 12, wherein the bearing assembly comprises a first tapered roller bearing and a second tapered roller bearing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The extractor assembly of claim 13, wherein the first and second tapered roller bearings are positioned substantially one-hundred and eighty degrees opposed to one another along the bearing axis so an inner race of the first bearing contacts the tone wheel and an inner race of the second bearing contacts the shaft lip. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A harvesting machine, comprising: a main frame; at least one ground-engaging mechanism for supporting the main frame; a feed mechanism configured to receive a crop and chop it into billets; a cleaning chamber comprising the extractor assembly of claim 1. ### Claim 16 A harvesting machine, comprising: a main frame; at least one ground-engaging mechanism for supporting the main frame; a feed mechanism configured to receive a crop and chop it into billets; a cleaning chamber having a primary extractor coupled to the harvesting machine with a frame structure, wherein the primary extractor further comprises a fan assembly for directing flow through a duct, the fan assembly comprising: a support tube coupled to the frame structure; a motor having a motor shaft; a bearing coupler assembly having a bearing shaft rotationally coupled to a bearing housing with a bearing assembly; a motor shaft coupler defined in the bearing shaft, the motor shaft coupler comprising a splined recess defined within the bearing shaft; wherein, the motor shaft is removably coupled to the bearing shaft at the motor shaft coupler on one end and the fan is coupled to the other end of the bearing shaft; wherein, the bearing coupler assembly contains a tone wheel and a sensor and is configured to identify the rotation speed of the fan. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The harvesting machine of claim 16, further wherein the bearing assembly is positioned between a fastener end and a shaft lip of the bearing shaft, wherein a fastener is coupled to the fastener end to apply an axial load on the bearing assembly by applying an axial force to the tone wheel towards the shaft lip. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The harvesting machine of claim 16, wherein the bearing assembly comprises at least one tapered roller bearing. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The harvesting machine of claim 18, wherein the bearing assembly comprises a first tapered roller bearing and a second tapered roller bearing. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The harvesting machine of claim 19, wherein the first and second tapered roller bearings are positioned substantially one-hundred and eighty degrees opposed to one another along the bearing axis so an inner race of the first bearing contacts the tone wheel and an inner race of the second bearing contacts the shaft lip.